Playing with language can be risky, but it can also be fun. The word "couch potatoism" occurred to me this morning. It's not listed in any dictionary, so today I’m going to learn some of its synonyms and also play around with the language a bit more, if you don’t mind.
In Spanish, we commonly use a word that, literally translated, would be something like “high-back chairing” to refer to sitting on a high-back chair for a long time. But I get the feeling that it sounds awkward in English too, so I’ll try to find more standard synonyms. I’d also like to explore some related metaphorical expressions.
I like to think I'm proactive. I wake up early and take my time to think about my day. Just a couple of hours slouching on the couch, planning my next move, are usually enough to get me started. Then I go for a short walk — not too far, just until I start to feel tired — and plop down on the nearest chair, parking myself there until I catch my breath. After that, I grab something to eat. The brain uses a lot of energy and needs fuel! But I don’t stay glued to the spot for too long — people might think I’m just sitting there like a lump.
At midday, after a few strenuous working hours, I camp out in front of the TV and have lunch. No Doritos, I swear. Just settling into my living room, sprawling out on the sofa, and vegging out the rest of the day. When it gets dark, I go to bed, which is hands down the best place for lounging.
I engage in some couch potatoism from time to time. With the -ism ending it sounds like a religion or philosophy. Really it's a way of life. I'm not sure what high-back chairing could mean though...
I think “vegetating” is as close as we have to a standard word that captures the idea of couch potatoism. For the title, remember to delete the article “the.”
@schmamie. Thanks for the corrections. I think "couch potatoism" could very well be a philosofy. lol. Who can resist to an afternoon of snacks, good movies, and lounging?
By "high-back chair" I mean an easy chair. It's what we call a "poltrona". We don't use that word much, but we use the verb "apoltronarse" a lot. That's what I meant by "high-back chairing" : )
@JGComm. I think you like grammar. What do you think of the hyphen in this sentence: "I've never seen such a dogmatic ngram-ing". Thanks for the corrections.